Would someone please be able to tell me what these blood test results mean please? I did add them on to a previous thread but I don't think they were showing up.
I was told by my GP back in July that my TSH levels were low . I admitted that I did sometimes forget to take Levo so she wanted me to go 2 months without missing a dose and do another test late October. She has included the Iron Panel that someone suggested getting done as my Ferritin levels are always out of range. I also have high cholesterol. I have read that this is a symptom of having Hashies. Would this be correct?
Forgetting to take your levo would not cause your TSH to be low, on the contrary. If you missed your dose too often, your TSH would rise. Did your doctor really accept that as a reason for your low TSH?
Just testing TSH is useless. Once it gets below 1 it doesn't tell you anything. The important number are the FT3 first, and FT4 second. Testing TSH won't tell you what those levels are. So you can have no idea of your true thyroid status.
But, if your cholesterol is high then your FT3 is probably low, because it's low T3 that causes high cholesterol, not having Hashi's.
Your B12 is a little low, but your folate is good.
Your ferritin is high but your serum iron is good, so you probably have high levels of inflammation. But they don't seem to have tested for that. Ferritin and CRP (inflammation marker) should always be tested together.
Yes, she would be happy with it, it's now in-range. But it doesn't tell her anything about your thyroid status, or if you need an increase in dose. You really, really need your thyroid hormones tested: FT4 and FT3. TSH is a pituitary hormone.
This was in my notes '....test result TSH slightly elevated @4.29. T4 normal....'
This refers to your previous test
That’s not what test result here says
Serum TSH level 0.5 mIU/L 0.35 - 4.94 mIU/L
High ferritin
How old are you?
Post menopause?
You need to get FULL thyroid testing - TSH, Ft4 and Ft3
and essential to test vitamin D
What vitamin supplements are you taking
Many (Most?) Hashimoto’s patients need to self supplement vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin B complex daily
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes:
Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L
Female's: 16-60: 30-150
Both >60: 30-650
The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Bioche
Ideally you need full iron panel every 2-3 years just to check iron not too high …or too low
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
When people are hypothyroid (have underactive thyroid) their test results usually show :
High TSH
Low Free T4
Low Free T3
When people are hyperthyroid (have overactive thyroid) their test results usually show :
Low TSH
High Free T4
High Free T3
So, when a medical professional tells someone who is undiagnosed they have "low thyroid" and since so many doctors make mistakes in interpreting thyroid results, it isn't clear whether they are saying "low thyroid" refers to Low TSH (probably hyperthyroid) or low Free T4 or low Free T3 (both of which happen in hypothyroidism).
There is another problem when the patient is diagnosed. Suppose a patient is hypothyroid and they see a doctor and get tested, and their TSH is low in range or below range. The doctor sometimes tells this hypothyroid patient on treatment that they have become hyperthyroid. This is not true, although if the patient has Hashi's, results can fluctuate. People who are hypothyroid cannot become hyperthyroid. But they can be over-medicated. To fix over-medication usually just needs a small reduction in dose. But when telling the patient they are "hyperthyroid" some doctors panic and take their patient off thyroid hormones altogether, or they make massive cuts in their dose. And then they make their sick patient much, much sicker.
There is far more to thyroid conditions than I've just explained, and other patterns of TSH/Free T4/Free T3 can occur than I've listed at the start of this reply. For example, in the early days of thyroid failure the body/thyroid will respond by creating far less T4 than a healthy thyroid should and a lot more T3 than normal.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.